Unlike advanced persistent threats (APTs), however, the attacker prioritized rapid data exfiltration over lateral movement, transferring stolen datasets to rented cloud storage servers (e.g., AWS S3 buckets) for subsequent monetization. Under this alias, he introduced direct customer notifications, sending personalized emails and Telegram messages to individuals whose data was compromised a psychological tactic to pressure organizations into paying ransoms. Victims were extorted via a dual-pronged approach: demands for payment to suppress data leaks, coupled with threats to notify media outlets or data protection authorities—a tactic designed to maximize reputational damage. Thai authorities seized 12 encrypted laptops, 27 external hard drives, and luxury assets worth $2.1 million, including a Rolex Daytona and a Lamborghini Huracán purchased with illicit proceeds. Moving forward, organizations are urged to prioritize patch management for RDP servers, implement web application firewalls (WAFs) to block SQLi attempts and conduct regular audits of cloud storage permissions. Cyber Security News is a Dedicated News Platform For Cyber News, Cyber Attack News, Hacking News & Vulnerability Analysis. Authorities arrested a prolific hacker responsible for over 90 data breaches across 65 organizations in the Asia-Pacific region and 25 additional global targets. For example, a Thai healthcare database containing 2.3 million patient records sold for 12 Bitcoin (~$480,000 at the time), while a Singaporean e-commerce breach fetched 8 Bitcoin. Kaaviya is a Security Editor and fellow reporter with Cyber Security News. The cybersecurity firm Group-IB contributed to this joint operation of the Royal Thai Police and the Singapore Police Force. The hacker’s later campaigns under 0mid16B targeted entities in the UK, UAE, and the US, including a New York-based insurance firm and a London property investment platform. The operation marks a critical victory in combating digital extortion tactics that blend technical sophistication with psychological coercion. The cybercriminal first emerged in 2020 under the alias ALTDOS, primarily targeting Thai organizations. She is covering various cyber security incidents happening in the Cyber Space. Analysts correlated these sales through stylistic hallmarks, including consistent Base64-encoded filenames and forum post templates. The case sets a precedent for holding digital extortionists accountable—a crucial step in safeguarding the Asia-Pacific’s $1.2 trillion digital economy.
This Cyber News was published on cybersecuritynews.com. Publication date: Thu, 27 Feb 2025 11:25:14 +0000